Aquarian Age: Sign for Evolution
アクエリアンエイジ Sign for Evolution
(Akuerian Eiji Sign for Evolution)
Genre Science
fiction
TV anime
Directed by Yoshimitsu
Ohashi
Written by Kazuhiko
Soma
Music by Yuki
Kajiura
Studio Broccoli,
Studio Madhouse
Licensed by Canada
United States United Kingdom ADV Films
Network TV
Tokyo
Original run 11
January 2002 – 28 March 2002
Episodes 13
Original video animation
Aquarian Age: The Movie
Directed by Fumie
Muroi
Written by Kazuhiko
Soma
Studio Broccoli,
Studio Madhouse
Licensed by Canada
United States ADV Films
Released 21
November 2003
Anime and Manga Portal
Aquarian Age: Sign for Evolution (アクエリアンエイジ Sign for
Evolution Akuerian Eiji Sign for Evolution?) is a 13-episode television anime
series based on the Aquarian Age collectible card game. The show was
co-produced by Broccoli and Madhouse and aired in early 2002 on TV Tokyo. VHS
and DVD copies of the Japanese editions are currently on sale, and ADV Films
has released the show in the United States on DVD in three volumes containing
both English subtitled and dubbed versions. A trailer for a live action movie was
released in 2008
Plot
The story centers on high school student and band
vocalist Kamikurata Kyouta, and how he stumbles on a secret war being waged by
mysterious girls with otherworldly powers. Kyouta later forms a band named T.L.
Signal with his friends Kojima Junichi, and Hirota Shingo. Kyouta's band works
for a company named CosmoPop. Junichi plays the keyboard, and Shingo is the
guitarist of the band. Things grow even more complicated when he discovers his
girlfriend Sannou Yoriko might be the key to it.
The TV series draws heavily from the world setup of the
original card games, and features male "Mindbreakers" with
female-only faction members. ADV Films's official show website and the inserts
in their 2004 DVD release list a glossary of information on the card games'
factions.
Manga
The stand-alone manga Juvenile Orion occurs in the
broader Aquarian Age universe, but is unrelated to Aquarian Age: Sign for
Evolution.
Music
The background music is composed by Yuki Kajiura, also
known for the background music from Noir and the second and third episodes of
the Xenosaga game trilogy. The 2008 live-action film's main theme is Mirror
Ball by Japanese rock group Alice Nine.
Aquarius, see Aquarius (disambiguation) (Horescope)
The Age of Aquarius is either the current or new age in
the cycle of astrological ages. Each astrological age, resulting from very slow
precessional movement of the Earth's rotation, is approximately 2,150 years
long, on average, but there are various methods of calculating this length that
may yield longer or shorter time spans depending upon the technique used.
Unlike sun-sign astrology where the first sign is Aries, followed by Taurus,
Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius,
and Pisces, whereupon the cycle returns to Aries and through the zodiacal signs
again, the astrological ages proceed in the opposite direction or order –
normally termed retrograde. Therefore, the Age of Aquarius follows the Age of
Pisces. It has been said that we are currently shifting into the Aquarian Age
Genres: adventure, fantasy, supernatural
Overview
The approximate 2150 years for each age corresponds to
the average time it takes for the Vernal Equinox to move from one constellation
of the zodiac into the next. This can be computed by dividing the Earth's
25,800 year gyroscopic precession period by twelve, the number of Zodiac
constellations used by astrologers. According to different astrologers'
calculations, approximated dates for entering the Age of Aquarius range from
1447 AD (Terry MacKinnell) to 3597 (John Addey). The start date for the
Aquarian age is somewhat contentious and there is little uniform agreement upon
the date or process leading from the previous Piscean age to the Aquarian age
(or between any two ages). Nicholas Campion in The Book of World Horoscopes
lists various references from mainly astrological sources for the start of the
Age of Aquarius. Based on the research by Nicholas Campion most published
material on the subject state that the Age of Aquarius arrived in the 20th
century (29 claims), with the 24th century in second place with twelve
claimants. Eight researchers claim the Aquarian age will arrive in the 25th
century while the 21st, 26th and 27th centuries have seven supporters for each
century. Other centuries that have a number of supporters for the beginning of
the Aquarian age include: 22nd and 23rd centuries (6 each); 19th century (5);
and the 18th century (4).
Astrological ages exist as a result of precession of the
equinoxes. The slow wobble of the Earth's spin axis on the celestial sphere is
independent of the diurnal rotation of the Earth on its own axis and the annual
revolution of the Earth around the Sun. Traditionally this 25,800 year cycle is
calibrated for the purposes of determining astrological ages by the location of
the Sun in one of the twelve Zodiac constellations at the vernal equinox, which
corresponds to the moment the Sun rises above the celestial equator, marking
the start of spring in the Northern hemisphere each year. Roughly every 2,150
years the sun's position at the time of the vernal equinox will have moved into
a new zodiacal constellation. However zodiacal constellations are not uniform
in size, leading some astrologers to believe that the corresponding ages should
also vary in duration. This however is a contentious issue amongst astrologers.
In 1929, the International Astronomical Union defined the
edges of the 88 official constellations. The edge established between Pisces
and Aquarius technically locates the beginning of the Aquarian Age around the
year 2600. Many astrologers dispute this approach because of the varying sizes
of the zodiacal constellations and overlap between the zodiacal constellations.
Astrological meaning of the Age of Aquarius
David Williams
David Williams claims that the Age of Aquarius arrived
about 1844, with the harbinger of the Siyyid `Alí Muḥammad (1819–1850), also
known as the Báb, founder of Bábism. Williams adopts a sub-period approach to
the ages whereby each age is divided into three decans. The three age-decans of
the Aquarian Age in chronological order are Libra, Gemini and Aquarius.
Williams states that the world is currently in the Libran decan of the Age of
Aquarius which is why the world has been so affected by wars (due to Libra) and
revolutions (due to Aquarius). He relates ideologies such as Socialism,
Communism and Fascism to the arrival of the Age of Aquarius.
Though he acknowledges great progress since the Aquarian
Age arrived about 1844, the world will have to wait for the Aquarian decan of
the Aquarian Age before the true fellowship of humankind is experienced in the
world. (According to Williams's calculations, the Aquarian decan of the Age of
Aquarius will arrive in about 3284, lasting until about 4004).
Marcia Moore and Mark Douglas
Marcia Moore and Mark Douglas promoted the view that,
although no one knows when the Aquarian Age begins, the American Revolution,
the Industrial Revolution, and the discovery of electricity are all
attributable to the Aquarian Age. Moore and Douglas make a number of
predictions about the trends that they believe will develop in the Aquarian
Age. These include people becoming more impersonal (detached), yet more
altruistic and humane. Developments involving flight and space travel will
result in decentralization. Inner cities will shrink and burgeoning outer
suburbs and industrial areas will reduce congestion.
Vera Reid
Vera Reid takes a common position expressed by many astrologers and New Agers about the Age of Aquarius. Reid sees the Age of Aquarius as that time when humankind takes control of the Earth and its own destiny as its rightful heritage. As such, humankind will become the "Son of God" (Aquarius13). Reid believed that the keyword for Aquarius is 'enlightenment'. The destiny of humankind in the Age of Aquarius is the revelation of truth and the expansion of consciousness.Reid also believed that the many crises the world is experiencing are attributable to the waning days of the Age of Pisces meeting the incoming tide of Aquarius, with the transition between ages lasting approximately 280 years. Reid also promoted the idea that some people will experience mental enlightenment in advance of others and therefore be recognized as the new leaders in the world.
Robert Zoller
Robert Zoller is a proponent of medieval astrology. Zoller’s predictions for the Age of Aquarius suggest that the Pisces world where religion is the opiate of the masses will be replaced in the Aquarian Age by a world ruled by secretive power-hungry elites seeking absolute power over others. Families will dissolve completely, or family ties will be hidden. Zoller also believes that knowledge in the Aquarian Age will only be valued for its ability to win wars; scientists may even be able to precipitate earthquakes for military means, and the danger in the Aquarian Age is that knowledge and science will be abused, not industry and trade. Zoller sees the Aquarian Age as a Dark Age wherein religion will be seen as offensive.Neil Spencer
Neil Spencer provides another sobering overview of the Age of Aquarius stating that the rise of scientific rationalism combined with the fall of religious influence is possibly an indication of the Age of Aquarius. The growth in demands of human rights since the 1780s, though remaining unfulfilled, is another indication of Aquarius. Spencer points to the exponential growth of technology, especially of computers and the Internet, plus the growth in flight and space travel as examples of the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.Spencer also questions the New Age utopian view of the Age of Aquarius with the modern astrological perspective that each sign is different but equal. Possible negative examples of Aquarius include dumbed-down media and consumerism and rapacious international corporations. Finally, Spencer states that nuclear power must be a manifestation of the Aquarian Age and comments on the parallel between the 25,000 years it takes for uranium to decay with the 26,000 cycle of the astrological ages.No isotopes of uranium have a half-life of 25,000 years though, naturally occurring forms have half-lives of 4.46 billion years(U-238), 700 million years(U-235), and 245,000 years(U-234).
Louis MacNeice
Louis MacNeice reports that Rupert Gleadow saw the Age of Aquarius ruled by Uranus and thus in the Age of Aquarius the attributes of Uranus such as inventions, machines, worldwide organizations, international collaboration, and the fellowship of humankind would spread. MacNeice also states that Ingrid Lind believes the Age of Aquarius has already arrived and the recent appearance of modern ideas and inventions supports this assertion.MacNeice also reports that Gleadow believed that the recent conflicts in the world (presumably the 20th century) correlate to the conflict between Saturn, ancient ruler of Aquarius and Uranus, modern ruler of Aquarius. Gleadow states that Saturn represents control, restrictions, and slavery, while Uranus represents culture, civilization, and intelligence. Though Gleadow viewed Uranus as a good planet, the famous astrologer Raphael believed Uranus to be evil and truly malefic.
Ray Grasse
Ray Grasse provides a guide to the Aquarian Age analogous to a travel guide for someone entering a foreign land. Grasse suggests that if you want help navigating through the Aquarian Age, you should leave room for silence in your life; create a center in your life (preferably involving a connection to the Absolute); and resist the deadening of your world, so instead of filling up your life with manufactured goods or artificiality, bring living organic things into your life. Furthermore, you need to maintain a compassionate heart; be involved in a network or group; become more self-reliant; avoid being hypnotized by the "group trance"; and take control of your everyday attitudes (i.e., do not depend upon external events for your inner fulfillment). This last point is relevant, as Grasse states, "How do we know if the Age of Aquarius will be 'a utopia or an Orwellian nightmare?'".Rudolf Steiner
Rudolf Steiner believes that the Age of Aquarius will arrive in 3573 AD. In Steiner’s approach to the astrological ages, each age is exactly 2160 years. Based on this structure, the world has been in the Age of Pisces since 1413. This approach is based on a different astronomical basis compared to most approaches to the astrological ages. Steiner utilises the stars at 15° from the vernal point as indicative of humanity’s stage of evolution which explains why his ages appear about one half an age earlier compared to most rectifications. In the Age of Pisces, people have to develop their own individuality. In the next Age of Aquarius, people can have a spiritual brotherhood but if the brotherhood came now, people’s individuality would not be strong enough. Rudolf Steiner has spoken about two great spiritual events: the return of Christ in the ethereal world (and not in a physical body), because people must develop their faculties until they can reach the ethereal world; and the incarnation of Ahriman on earth. Ahriman (Zoroaster’s “destructive spirit”) is the spirit who has interest only with physical, mineral, intelligence and calculations and will try to block the evolution of humanity. Steiner’s approach is in essence very similar to that of Terry MacKinnell. MacKinnell hypothesises that the astronomical basis of the astrological ages must be based on the heliacal rising constellation instead of the Hipparchan Vernal Point which also places his rectification almost half a sign in advance (15 degrees) of the common rectifications similar to Steiner. However whereas Steiner has the Age of Pisces arriving in 1413, MacKinnell has the age of Aquarius arriving in 1433 AD (or up to two years earlier). Superficially it appears that Steiner and MacKinnell are one age apart in their rectification however MacKinnell clearly states that the strongest sign that manifests in the Age of Aquarius is Pisces. So while MacKinnell has the Age of Aquarius arriving around 1433 AD, the influence of Pisces exceeds Aquarius at this time.Yogi Bhajan
Siri Singh Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji, known as Yogi Bhajan taught that The Age of Aquarius began on November 11, 1991 and fully transitioned from Pisces on November 20, 2011.Common cultural associations
The expression Age of Aquarius in popular culture usually
refers to the heyday of the hippie and New Age movements in the 1960s and
1970s. The New Age movement is more accurately a phenomenon and yet seen by
many as the harbinger of this future changeover of values associated with the
arrival or imminent arrival of the Aquarian age.
Although more rock than New Age in genre, the 1967
musical Hair, with its opening song "Aquarius" and the memorable line
"This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius," brought the Aquarian
age concept to the attention of audiences worldwide. However, the song further
defines this dawning of the age within the first lines: "When the Moon is
in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars; then peace will guide the
planets, and love will steer the stars." According to Neil Spencer, the
words are "astrological gibberish" as Jupiter aligns with Mars
several times a year and the Moon is in the 7th House for about two hours every
day.These lines are considered by many to be merely poetic license, though some
people take them literally. An example is the identification of February 14,
2009 (Valentine's Day) as the "perfect alignment to support our collective
manifestation of love and peace and dawning of the Age of Aquarius."
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